When is the best time to visit Broome?

Broome has beautiful qualities and exciting activities all year round, so it really depends on what you want to get out of your holiday. Whether you prefer to get outdoors and experience the unique Broome nature, see the sights in town, or have a more laid-back holiday, there’s plenty for you to do in every season. 

So let’s take a look at what’s on offer in each season, so you can decide for yourself when your best time to visit Broome will be.

Visiting Broome in the wet season

Stretching over the hottest summer months between November and April, the wet season is a fantastic time in Broome. The air is hot and humid, and feels like you’re on your own tropical getaway.

There’s lots to love about Broome during its wet season:

Witness a Broome tropical thunderstorm

While the heat and humidity might not agree with some, it creates some spectacular natural phenomena that you don’t get during the dry season.

Thunderstorms during the wet season are a truly striking event. The humidity in the air means there’s plenty of moisture, and the warm air means tall, dark clouds begin to form. These clouds build up electrical charge, until they break, letting loose deafening thunder and incandescent lightning that fills the sky. 

It’s a light show that’s far, far greater than any fireworks display, and something you have to experience at least once in your life. 

And with the clouds and the thunderstorms come the sunsets. The giant clouds provide a canvas for rich, vibrant sunsets—a photographer’s dream.

Explore Coconut Well

Coconut Well is a bit of a hidden gem. Just north of the town, it’s a dry, sandy, rocky basin situated next to the ocean. But over the wet season, Broome’s ocean tide rises. And at its highest, waves come rushing in over the beach and into Coconut Well, creating an instant tropical lagoon full of waist-high warm water, that’s just made for laying back and relaxing.

Fewer crowds to get in the way

Another perk of Broome’s wet season is that you can enjoy the sights with fewer crowds around you.

Explore the famous Broome landmarks like the dinosaur tracks at Gantheaume Point; just you and the rocks. Learn about Broome’s pearling history at the Broome Museum, and visit the pearling showrooms on Dampier Terrace, without having to duck and weave around other people. 

Or stroll through Chinatown and explore the town’s rich multicultural origins, all without needing to fight your way through crowds.

Visiting Broome in the dry season

Between May and October in Broome, the weather cools down. It’s still warm, but not too hot. The humidity eases, and the rains disappear, creating perfect conditions to enjoy Broome’s famous beaches and the outdoor life that the town is famous for.

See the sights

During the dry season, the weather is ideal to wander around Broome and see the sights. Take advantage of the beautiful conditions: experience a sunset camel ride on Cable Beach, or get out and into the Kimberley on one of the town’s many wildlife tours. 

Or experience living history firsthand, and take in a film at Sun Pictures, the oldest open air cinema in the world, showing new and classic films most nights of the week.

Go whale watching

Book a cruise out on the water to get up close with the ocean’s most magical creatures. Whales are at their height of activity between July and September, when they migrate from the colder Antarctic feeding grounds to the warmer waters of Australia’s North West. 

It’s the perfect time to book a whale watching tour, where you’ll be lucky to catch majestic humpback whales breaching the water, slapping their tails. 

See the Staircase to the Moon

This natural phenomenon takes place in the dry season when the tides are lower, and the mud flats on Roebuck Bay get exposed. As the light fades, and the moon starts to rise, its reflection shines off the undulating mudflats, creating a staircase illusion that stretches out towards the horizon. 

It only occurs a handful of times each year, two or three times a month between March and October, so it’s a fleeting experience. Be sure to check the dates and times to catch this iconic Broome spectacle before you book your holiday.

Experience Broome’s festival season

Dry season is festival season. Visit Broome in August and September for the famous Shinju Matsuri, or Festival of the Pearl. A two-week-long festival that celebrates Broome’s Japanese, Malaysian, Chinese, and First Nations heritage, while marking the traditional ending of the pearl harvest season. It sees the town place host to art exhibitions, exceptional foodie events, and plenty of other fun activities.

Or if you enjoy a flutter is also when the Broome Cup is held, where people flock from all over the state to see the horses in action, and enjoy the carnival-like atmosphere.

The best time to visit Broome all depends on what you love to do

However you like to holiday, Broome is a town that has something for everyone. 

And no matter the time of year that you come, the Continental Hotel is here for you. Book a room at our comfortable accommodation, centrally located at Town Beach, and make the most of your time here. 

Keen for more adventure? Ask at our front desk: our friendly staff love giving their advice on what they love to do and see, and you might discover a few more hidden gems!